Show customs of the basques of the strange scenes and customs of the basque country a traveler writes I 1 was struck by the way the women walked and carried themselves A fat old woman with a huge tray on her head walked along at a swinging pace shouting her wares meanwhile at the top of her voice I 1 saw a woman carrying on her head first of all a large tray ot fruit its size can be imagined when I 1 tell you that it was afterward her stall on the top ol 01 this was a basket of washing and a big umbrella to be used to cover the stall then in her left hand she carried a supplementary stall and by the other she led a little child which could lust reach the mothers hand by holding its own up as high as it cold stretch I 1 was waiting once at a little way side inn in the village of alcain ascain when I 1 saw an old lady followed by two great fat white pigs they all three waddled over to the village pump and then procuring some water in a pail the old lady proceeded to wash her charges she cleaned them most as eyes ears tall back hind quarters and feet there Is a dignity of carriage about all the women in this country I 1 fancied it might be due to the fact that formerly before the code na came into operation the law obliged the firstborn whether boy or girl to inherit the patrimony and con tine the head 0 the family the bus band taking the wife s name when the inheritor was a woman thus div ing the woman a perfect equality from her birth the matrons are not lea beautiful than the bonger women quite unlike any other language in that of the basques although when hearing the people talk a spanish seems to be occasionally emit ted it Is not really at all like spanish I 1 was amused to find that no is ess in basque and when I 1 asked what yes was I 1 thought at first the answer was na which would have been very curious but it turned out to be ba with the b softly pronounced |